Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-12-01
WHEAT. CORN. AND FLAX.

WHEAT, CORN, AND FLAX.
The Crops in Minnesota and Dakota Will
Exceed Last Years Yield.
The crop of coarse grains raised in
Minnesota and Dakota this year will ex-
coed those of last, although the increase
is due more to increase in acreage than
in yield. The corn crop of Minnesota,
with the exception of few counties
IN the southern part of the state, is much
better than last year. Reports received
from every county in the state show that
the average condition in yield is much
better this year than in 1886. Fifty per
cent. of reports say the yield Is from Is
to 90 per cent. larger, per cent. say they
are the same, while the remainder put
the crop at from to Is per cent less.
From these reports it is estimated that
the average yield is 80 bushels against
311a bushels last year. The acreage as
given by the commissioners of statistics
is 631 1868 against 557 sos last year. The
total yield last year was 17,589,O0O. The
total crop this year based on 80 bushels
per acre on 631, 363 acres is 20,203,616,
an increase of about 100000. The
quality of the cropis generally very good,
most of it having been too far advanced
when the first frosts came to be seriously
injured. The corn crop in Dakota, as
estimated by the commissioner of immi
grafton, is "a, 511 900 on an acreage of
600,000. Although the reports received
from the territory are not as those from
Minnesota still the data at hand indicate
that the figures of the immigration com
missioner are very liberal. The crop
is estimated ct abeut 100000 bushels.
Nl,rnC Loo, L
area planted to corn this year, principal
ly in the southern portion of the terri
tory, where the plant thrives vigorously
and ripens early. It is q we'll known
fact that the crop in southern Dakota is
matured and ready for harvest before the
crops in Illinois and Iowa. The quality
of the corn crop in Dakota this year is
excellent, and most of it would grade No.
l on the Chicago market.
The crop of cats raised in Minnesota
this year, although not quite as heavy an
average as last year, is much larger in the
total. The area sOwn to this crop in
1887 was 1,278,O00 against 1,127 900 in
1886. The average yield last year was
nearly 80 bushels per acre, but the dry
weather and the chinch bugs in southern
Minnesota caused great damage to the
81 bushels. This on an acreage of 1878
900 gives a total crop of 1861. 900
against 35 875, 900 last year. The quality
of the crop is not as good as last year, as
the heavy rains, which came just as har-
vest was being finished, caused consider
able damage in some sections. For feed
ing purposes the crop is good enough,
but for shipment and consumption the
quality is not as good as it should te.
Very little of this crop is sent out of the
state, however, and the bulk of it is con
sumed at home. In Dakota about 1,OO0,-
600 acres we're sown to this crop, on which
was raised about 100000 bushels. The
quality OF the crop in Dakota is excel
lent, and the average yield was from 35
to 70 bushels, weighing from 40 to 45
pounds, and one or two reports gave the
yield from 80 to 80 bushels per acre. The
acreage of fax in Minnesota this year is
not as large as year ago. In many
counties the crop was damaged by the
hot and wet weather in 1886, and farmers
became discouraged and put the ground
to other crops this year. The acreage in
1886 was 100000; this year it is reported
at $4,000. The yield will be about 1,2O0,-
900 bushels. In Dakota the crop was
much larger. Very little flax is sown
north of the Northern Pacific railroad,
and it's extensive cultivation is carried on
only in the southern counties. The area
sown this year was about 400, 900, and the
yield about 100000 bushels. The Guilt
Walton of fax is very irregular. Some
farmers plant almost their entire acreage
to the crop, while others give 1T very
small proportion of their farms. New
settlers go largely into this crop, as it
can be raised very easily on new soil and
with little care. The flax crop in the
territory has grown very rapidly, as in
1879 il amounted to only 26,000 bushels.
In 1884 it had grown to 228, 200 bushels,
and in 1885 to 100000.
A Great Smeller.
Arkansaw Traveller
''Cotton burnin' round heah sommers.n
cotton shed; sscotton burnin' sommers,
fur smell it.'
81 don't smell anything" said the
manager of the shed.
II does, sab, does. / reckan dat I'm
er littlh the best smeller in his heab
country. Wy sab, I ken smell o. de at
mus phere an tell wen it's gwine ter
rain
"Then you must be an expert"
"Dat's what I is san; OATS zackly what
is. Yer know dat railroad accident de
udder day? Wall. / knowed dat gwine
to happen"
GLOW did you know it,"
ssSmelt it,"
'You are foolish"
sNo, sab, amt. I was standin' talk
iu' ter Jim Tawlor, an a'er student seq l,
Jim, thar's sunthin's gwine ter happen on
dat railroad ODE yander.' How yer
know?' seq he. 4 smell it, says I. He
flung up his head, hill it up or while, and
den says, 4 smell er little trouble mer-
self, but can't zactly make out what it
is Well, sab, bout two hours after dat
dem trains run togeder. Look heah,
boss, tell yer / smells cotton. Look
de matter heah? Good
Lawd!"
Then he began to snatch off his shirt,
which was about ready to blaze. He
threw the burning garment on the ground,
and as he stamped out the fire remarked:
Saint no man ken beat me smellin', lem |
me tell yer! Know'd dar wuz fire in dis
heah neiphbOrhOOd, an do bleebe in nv |